Looking for a quick, beginner-friendly layering piece to add a handmade touch to your wardrobe? This Women’s Tie Front Vest is the perfect project! Light, breezy, and reversible, it’s ideal for wearing over dresses, tees, and even turtlenecks as seasons change.
This vest pattern is available as a free PDF in bust sizes 30–44 inches (XS–XXL), ensuring you can sew a comfortable fit just for you. The gentle curved front, sweet tie closure, and simple lines make it a timeless piece you’ll reach for again and again.
Best of all, this vest is fully reversible! Choose a pretty floral cotton on one side and a classic stripe or solid on the other for two looks in one. You can play with your favorite prints and colors, adding contrast bias binding for that extra pop.
If you’re new to garment sewing, this project is a fantastic confidence builder, letting you practice neat bias finishing and reversible construction without complicated closures. Pair it with jeans for everyday wear or throw it over a dress for an effortless layered look.
Ready to stitch your own reversible vest? Download the free PDF sewing pattern and step into your sewing space with excitement!
Click the link below to browse all the free PDF sewing patterns for women:
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Sewing Supplies Needed:
1. Fabric
2. Free printable PDF sewing pattern (pattern link is given below)
4. Sewing machine (I am using Janome and Bernina. Both are excellent sewing machines. Brother is equally good too. I have heard good reviews about it.)
5. Sewing machine thread (I prefer using Gütermann and Coats, which are of great quality.)
6. Tape measure
7. Sewing pins
8. Serger (I am using Brother M343D, which works great.)
Pattern Assembly:
The diagram below is given as a guide to assemble the pattern pages. There are 8 pages in the pattern PDF. And these pages are arranged as shown in the diagram.
Seam allowance is included in the pattern, which is 1/2 inch all around.
*Note: This pattern includes approximately 3 inches of ease around the bust line. However, if you have a fuller bust or plan to make a quilted vest, consider adding ¾ inch or more to each side seam of both the front and back pieces. Additionally, if you intend to wear the vest over a shirt or top made of heavier fabric, you may wish to lower the armhole by about an inch—or adjust it further based on your preference.
Fabric Requirement for the Reversible Tie Front Vest
Recommended Fabric:
Light to medium-weight cotton, linen, cotton lawn, lightweight denim, chambray, or rayon blends.
Fabric Requirement Chart:
Here is the fabric requirement chart for the reversible tie front vest (XS–XXL) in both metres and yards, for main fabric and lining.
Additional Notes:
✅ If you wish to make your own bias tape for armholes and neckline, add 0.25 m (0.3 yd) extra of either fabric for bias strips.
✅ Fabric widths assumed: 44–60 inches (112–150 cm).
✅ If using directional prints, consider adding 0.1 m (0.1 yd) for pattern matching.
✅ You can use the same fabric for the main and lining for a single-sided vest if desired.
How to cut the fabric pieces?
Main fabric -- 2 front pieces mirroring each other
Lining fabric -- 1 back piece cut on fold
Sewing the Vest:
- Join the shoulders of outer and lining--Join the shoulders of the front and back pieces of the main and lining fabric.
Press open the shoulder seams.
- With right sides of the main and lining facing sew the armholes, neckline, and the center front upto the hemline where it curves.
Sandwich the ties at this point, as shown in the image, if you prefer not to add in the bias tape around the center front and neckline.
- Clip curves, turn right side out, and press neatly.
This is how it should look now.
- Match and sew the side seams for both layers.
With the main fabric front and back pieces together and lining fabric front and back pieces together, pin the side seams of the top and sew in one continuous seam on each side.
In the above image, you see the back pieces. The front pieces are aligned underneath the corresponding back pieces.
- With right sides facing, sew around the hemline, starting from one curved edge to the other curved edge, leaving a small opening in between.
- Turn the vest inside out through the opening, and close that gap by hand sing a slip stitch or ladder stitch for a super neat, nearly invisible finish on the outside.
- Add the front ties.
- Attach bias binding around armholes, neckline, center front, and hemline.
Finishing:
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Press the vest.
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Optional topstitching for neatness.
I have provided a reversible bolero vest sewing tutorial for 18 inch dolls here with free PDF sewing pattern. Please do check it out.
Happy sewing!
---Flora
